Milk container



J. L. CARLEY MILK CONTAINER Dec. 24, 1940.

Filed May 23, 1938 fisephlhCcbr lx y,

Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILK oonramna OhioApplication May 23, 1938, Serial No. 209,583

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-7) The present invention consists of a container,preferably made of paper, which may be formed, sterilized and filled,providing a sealed container especially adapted for use in packagingmilk and like products, and equipped with a pour opening which isoriginally uncovered when the contents of the container is to bedispensed.

It is within the contemplation of my invention 7 to provide a containerwhich although sealed after the container is filled, may be opened withfacility when the contents of the container is to be dispensed, the pouropening being relatively small and located near the top of the containerand of a contour which assurespouring in a co mpact non-diffused stream.

A further object of the invention is to provide a destructible containerespecially adapted for use in vending. highly perishable commodities,such as milk, the entire container being machine sealed after thecommodity has been packaged; provision however, is made to permit a partof the wall of the container to be severed to provide an opening throughwhich the contents of the container may be conveniently andsatisfactorily dispensed, the separable portion of the wall beinpositively protected from being casually opened,

by a guard tab which latter completely covers the severable portion ofthe container wall and is secured to the container wall outside of the20 severable zone, the guard tab likewise serving to disrupt and carrythe severable portion of the side wall of the container into aplane awayfrom the container to permit the contents of the container to be freelypoured, the guard tab likewise being usable for reinserting the severedportion of the container into the pour opening, the tab extending beyondthe walls of the opening.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container, whichalthough made in any desired shape, preferably has the upper endthereof, in which the severable portion of the wall is formed to providethe pour opening, tapered or sloped to prevent the accumulation ofextraneous materials,-such as dirt, or moisture around the sealing tabthereby preventing possible contamination of the contents of thecontainer when the seal is broken and the pour opening formed.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription of the present preferred forms of the invention, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a container constructed in accordancewith the present invention,

showing the container sealed. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective viewof a container with the tab in an open position and exposing the pouropening,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the container takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-1 5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form ofcontainer wherein the tab is secured to the container by a staple,

Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary elevational view 10 of a container blank,illustrating one form of pour opening therein,

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a pour opening. of a different contour,and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the container showing the latter 18in a dispensing-position.

After much experiment I have found that in packaging perishablecommodities, especially commodities which are highly susceptible tocontamination, such as milk, it is preferable to 20 employ a packagewhich is not adapted, for reuse and one which is preferably formed,'-sterilized,

'fiiled and sealed without the intervention of human hands, thecontainer being taken from the machine completely sealed. In this typeof con- 25 tainer or receptacle, I prefer to provide a selfcontainedmeans for forming the pour opening; which serves the function of sealingand reinforcing the container at the zone where the opening is to bemade, the said means likewise serving to re-engage the pour openingafter the latter has been originally formed.

In making up a container in accordance with the teaching of the presentinvention, a blank is employed adjacent one margin of which a zone 35 isincised. The incised zone may be of any desired contour, but I havefound that good results are obtained by providing a substantiallytriangular shaped opening in that the contents of the container may bepoured therethrough in a compact non-diffused stream. Also, inaccordance with the teaching of the present invention I pref-' erably.superimpose over the incised zone a tab, the tab being either sealed inconjunction with the sealing of the terminal of the container in whichthe incised zone is formed, or else being secured to the container byextraneous means. After the blank has been formed into a container bysealing the sides and an end thereof, the receptacle is filled and theopen or fill end of the latter sealed. When the contents of thecontainer is to be dispensed, the pour opening isfolrmed by operatingthe tab. Consequently, the pour opening is originally formed in thecontainer at 5:

the time the contents of the latter is to be dispensed.

In carrying out my invention, I have in the drawing, shown a receptacle8, which may be of any desired contour, the upper end of the receptaclebeing preferably tapered or sloped, as indicated at 9, to prevent theaccumulation of extraneous materials thereon. The upper terminal of thereceptacle is sealed in a suitable manner. In this form of invention theupper terminals of the receptacle are pinched together, as indicated atH], and a binding strip ll of metal or the like fixedly secured thereto.As already described herein, a wall of the blank, which is later formedinto the receptacle 8, is incised, as indicated at 12, the incisionbeing of substantially triangular shape, the apex of the triangle beingopen and extending upwardly to approximately the inner end of thebinding strip I I. Superimposed on the wall of the receptacle 8 andextending completely across the incised zone I2 is a tab IS, the upperend of which terminates at the upper end of the receptacle and issecured beneath the binding strip H, as indicated to advantage in Figs.3 and 4.

The tab I3 is sealed, by a suitable cementitious agent to thewall of thereceptacle within the confines of the incision I2, the tab beinglikewise secured to the receptacle wall around said incised zone. It isto be understood that although the wall of the receptacle is incised, asindicated at l2, the receptacle is re-enforced at this point insuperimposing the tab I3 thereover, thus the incision is sealed as wellas re-enforced in addition to pro-' viding means by which the receptaclewall, within the incised area l2, may be displaced and the pour openingformed from a hitherto sealed tamperproof protected portion of thereceptacle.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing, when pressure is exertedon the lower or free end 40 of the tab I3, the wall of the receptacle orcontainer, atthe incised area I2, is disrupted or broken, therebypermitting said portion of the wall, indicated at i2, to'move as a unitwith the tab l3 and providing a pour opening l5. When the 5 tab i3 isre-engaged with the receptacle wall, the

severed portion M of the wall serves as a cap which refits snugly intothe pour opening i5.

In the form of invention illustrated in Fig. 5, the tab I3 is secured tothe receptacle by means 0 of a staple I6. Where this form of inventionis used, the staple may be engaged with the receptacle immediately abovethe apex of the scored area l2.

In the form of invention illustrated in Fig. '7, the incised area I! maybe circular instead of trialri gular thereby providing a round pouropening It is, 01. course, understood that various changes may be madein the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of partswithin the scope oi the claims hereto appended.

What is claimed is:

1. A milk receptacle including an elongated paper body provided with anincised zone at its upper end, a tab extending across and engaged withsaid incised zone, and means for securing one end of the receptacle,said means engaging a terminal of the tab, the opposite terminal of thetab being free to operate for severing the incised zone of the body.

2. A milk container including a paper body the upper end of which issealed and provided with a triangular shape incised zone, the apex ofthe zone issuing into said sealed end, and a tab one end of which issecured in said sealed end, said tab being superimposed on and engagedwith the incised zone of the body, a part of the tab projecting beyondsaid zone to provide an operating portion for severing the incised zonefrom the body.

3. A paper receptacle for milk consisting of a body provided with anincised zone and equipped with machine sealed terminals, and meanscarried by one end of the body and operable to provide a pour opening byremoval of the part of the receptacle within said incised zone, a partof said means being secured in one of said sealed ends, another part ofsaid means providing a finger grip to permit operation of said means.

4. A liquid container having a paper wall which is cut or scored toprovide a displaceable part permanently connected to the wall by anuncut portion which' comprises a hinge, and a separately formed tabattached to the outer surface of the container wall adjacent said hingeand also to the outersurface of said part, the hinge of thedisplaceablepart being reinforced by a metallic JOSEPH L. CARLEY.

